Surrey Cycle Strategy - Elmbridge

The Surrey County Council Cycling Strategy has some excellent objectives which we fully support. But it has limited funding. What is being done to achieve its objectives?

Those objectives include contributing towards achieving cycling targets of

• 20% increase in cycle journeys being made
• 25% increase in cycle journeys to railway stations.

We think these are good goals, but they need more positive action to make them happen.  One area where Surrey CC has been active elsewhere in the county is in improving cycle storage and security at stations (see right panel). But what about Elmbridge? We have asked South West Trains to work together with Elmbridge and Surrey CC to develop better cycling facilities and access for Weybridge Station.

If you have thoughts on promoting more & safer cycling, or improving cycling facilities, please do make a comment.  We will be very pleased to hear from you.

Asking Surrey County Council about cycling

We put the following question to the Surrey County Council Elmbridge Local Committee:

SCC LOCAL COMMITTEE IN ELMBRIDGE – 9 MARCH 2009

AGENDA ITEM 6 - PUBLIC QUESTIONS

Question 1 – Councillor Macleod

Cycling Action Plan progress in Elmbridge
"Given the welcome aims of the Surrey County Council Cycling Strategy and Action Plan 2007-10 of contributing to achieving a 20% increase in cycle journeys being made and 25% increase in cycle journeys to stations, can the committee tell us what budget has been allocated by SCC to help achieve these aims in Elmbridge, what specific actions have been taken to date or are scheduled for Elmbridge, and what progress has been made in increasing cycle use in Elmbridge?"

Officer's Response:

In 2008/9, Transport for Surrey was able to allocate £40,000 capital funds (Local Transport Plan) across the county, to increase cycling infrastructure and journeys by bike in order to reach its targets. The County Cycling Officer in agreement with local highways offices allocates this to local schemes and the continued development of the national cycle network in Surrey. The A307 Portsmouth Road cycle lanes, Esher, which is now nearing completion, was allocated funds from the budget recently. In summer 2008, when programmes had already been drawn up, the County Cycling Officer was in a position to offer additional funds for cycle parking in several locations across Elmbridge to enhance access in town centres. Due to the existing heavy programme of works and backlog of schemes it was felt that no guarantee could be given of implementing this additional work, so it is proposed to progress this initiative very soon.

Central funds are also allocated county wide to promote cycling e.g. school cycle parking, safety and skills cycle training. Elmbridge is very active in this area and has 110 Bikeability (skills training) courses booked, several bike clubs, most schools have active travel plans, whilst Company Travel Plans are encouraging adults to cycle. Surrey is promoting cycling as a healthy and green activity, and to this end, the new National Cycle Training standards have been implemented in order to offer the most up-to-date training for new users in order to afford them the possibility to be as safe as possible.

Beyond this central infrastructure funding, the Local Committee decides any further cycle related scheme finance based on its local priorities. Cycling schemes are without doubt very difficult to introduce retrospectively on an existing highway network, due to road widths, often their sensitive nature. On-carriageway cycle lanes can only be put in where there is sufficient road width to put in 1.5 metre wide lanes. Few roads in Surrey have these available widths however, it can also be difficult to find a cycle scheme that suits all highway user groups’ cyclists, residents and pedestrians alike.

Central budget allocations for 2009/10 have yet to be agreed by the Executive. Surrey’s priority for transport funding is to maintain the road network, but it is likely that there will also be a small allocation for cycling infrastructure. The council's priority for allocating cycle infrastructure funding is likely to be for Surrey's "hub" towns and to complete the national cycle network.

Surrey has recently received recognition from the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) for its very strong progress on its Local Transport Plan and for achieving some of its targets early. Targets to increase journeys by bike in Surrey are on target, and journeys to railway stations exceeded.

A dedicated officer from the east area office meets with representatives from the Elmbridge area as well as others in the east area cycle forum, on a regular basis, in order to identify where additional cycle facilities would be helpful and of benefit to cyclists. These are then assessed in order to best fit these schemes within existing highway projects or new schemes, within the limitations of the funds and scheme prioritisation.

It is proposed during 2009/10 to complete the cycling infrastructure, both on and off road, from the Scilly Isles to Hampton Court Station, linking up other measures introduced previously.

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Postscript

Miles Macleod took the opportunity after the Local Committee meeting to discuss with Frank Apicella (of Surrey Highways) the need for a safe cycle route along Seven Hills Road, where the only practical possibility is a shared use footway / cycle path.  Mr Apicella said that a similar situation existed along Byfleet Road, and there was informal agreement from the police that responsible cycle use of the footway along that road should be allowed (or at least not acted against).